Kerala

What Are the Top Things to Do in Kerala?

Kerala is unlike any other part of India. The pace is slower, the literacy rate is the highest in the country, the food is coconut-rich and spice-laden, and the landscape shifts from palm-fringed backwaters to misty tea plantations within a three-hour drive. When I first arrived in Kochi and took the ferry across to Fort Kochi, I thought I’d accidentally left India and landed somewhere in Portugal. That’s the thing about Kerala — it constantly surprises you.

The Alleppey Backwaters

The Alleppey (Alappuzha) backwater cruise is the defining Kerala experience and one of the most peaceful things I’ve done in all of my travels. The backwater network stretches 900km — a labyrinth of canals, lagoons, and lakes running parallel to the Arabian Sea coast, connected by the Vembanad Lake. Overnight houseboats (kettuvallam — traditional rice barges converted to floating lodges) range from INR 8,000 ($100) for a basic one-bedroom to INR 25,000 ($300) for a premium boat with an upper deck and private chef.

The rhythm of a houseboat day is beautifully simple: drift through narrow canals lined with coconut palms, watch village life unfold on the banks — women washing clothes on the stone steps, children waving from their front yards, fishermen casting nets from wooden canoes. Your onboard chef prepares lunch using fish bought that morning from a passing vendor’s canoe. By late afternoon, the boat anchors in a quiet stretch and you eat dinner under a sky thick with stars. I fell asleep to the sound of water lapping against the hull and woke to a kingfisher diving from the railing.

Book directly with operators in Alleppey town, not through hotel packages. Walk the waterfront and inspect boats before committing — quality varies enormously. The best boats have a dedicated upper sundeck and a chef who cooks traditional Kerala meals (karimeen pollichathu, fish curry with red rice, prawn masala).

Munnar Tea Plantations

Munnar sits at 1,600 metres in the Western Ghats, about three hours east of Kochi by road. The drive up is spectacular — climbing through spice-scented foothills, past waterfalls and hairpin bends, until suddenly the entire hillside turns into an unbroken carpet of tea bushes stretching to the horizon. The green here is so vivid it barely looks real.

The Tata Tea Museum (INR 125/$1.50) explains the colonial tea trade and the process from leaf to cup. You can walk through working tea estates and watch pluckers carrying enormous baskets on their heads. Eravikulam National Park (INR 125/$1.50, closed February for breeding season) is home to the endangered Nilgiri Tahr mountain goat and offers misty mountain walks. The Top Station viewpoint at 1,880 metres gives views down into Tamil Nadu on clear mornings.

Fort Kochi

Fort Kochi is Kerala’s most atmospheric district — a peninsula with layers of colonial history from Portuguese, Dutch, and British occupations. The iconic Chinese fishing nets (cheena vala) at the waterfront were brought by Chinese traders in the 1400s and are still operated by hand. Watch the fishermen haul them at sunset, then buy the fresh catch from the vendors behind the nets and take it to a nearby stall that will cook it for you for INR 100-200 ($1.20-2.50).

The Mattancherry Spice Market is a narrow lane of warehouses filled with cardamom, pepper, turmeric, and cinnamon — the aromatic heart of Kerala’s spice trade. The adjacent Jewish Quarter (Paradesi Synagogue, INR 10/$0.12) dates to 1568 and the hand-painted Chinese floor tiles are original.

Kathakali dance performances happen nightly in Fort Kochi (INR 350/$4 at Kerala Kathakali Centre). Arrive 90 minutes early to watch the elaborate make-up process — the facial painting alone takes two hours and transforms the dancers into mythological beings. It’s one of India’s most distinctive art forms and genuinely mesmerising.

Ayurveda in Kerala

Ayurveda — India’s 5,000-year-old system of medicine — is taken seriously in Kerala. This isn’t tourist wellness; it’s genuine medical practice backed by state-certified practitioners. Treatments range from a single abhyanga (warm oil massage, INR 1,500/$18) to multi-week residential panchakarma detox programs (INR 50,000+/$600+ per week).

The most respected centres include Kottakkal Arya Vaidya Sala (the gold standard in Ayurvedic medicine, operating since 1902) and Somatheeram in Kovalam (a dedicated Ayurvedic beach resort). For a half-day introduction, book a two-treatment session at a government-certified centre — look for the Kerala Ayurveda Board certification on the wall.

My recommendation: try a shirodhara treatment (warm medicated oil poured continuously on the forehead for 45 minutes). It sounds strange and it’s profoundly relaxing — I nearly fell asleep on the table and left feeling like I’d slept for twelve hours.

Where Should I Stay in Kerala?

• Kumarakom Lake Resort — Private pool villas on Vembanad Lake. The infinity pool overlooking the backwaters at sunrise is worth every rupee. From INR 20,000/night ($250)
• Fort Kochi heritage homestays — Colonial-era houses converted to guesthouses, many run by families who’ve lived there for generations. Old Harbour Hotel and Malabar House are excellent mid-range choices. From INR 3,000/night ($36)
• Alleppey houseboat — The overnight backwater cruise doubles as accommodation. Book a boat with an upper deck for the best experience. From INR 8,000/night ($100)
• Kaivalyam Retreat, Munnar — A tea-estate guesthouse in the hills with misty morning views and genuine tranquillity. From INR 4,000/night ($48)
• Zostel Alleppey — Budget hostel option near the backwaters with a rooftop and communal kitchen. From INR 600/night ($7)

What Should I Eat in Kerala?

Kerala’s cuisine is coconut-heavy, spice-rich, and built around the freshest seafood in India. Every meal is served on a banana leaf, and the flavour profile — tangy, coconut-creamy, with black pepper and curry leaf heat — is completely distinct from North Indian cooking.

• Karimeen pollichathu — Pearl spot fish marinated in spices and grilled inside a banana leaf. Kerala’s signature dish and available at every backwater restaurant. Best I had was on the houseboat itself
• Dal Roti — Fort Kochi institution serving North Indian food in the south. The butter chicken and garlic naan are outstanding and the rooftop setting overlooking the harbour is perfect for sunset. INR 300/person ($4)
• Kayees Rahmathullah — Legendary biryani spot in Mattancherry, operating since 1948. The Kerala-style biryani uses short-grain kaima rice and is lighter and more aromatic than its Hyderabadi cousin. Get there before noon — they sell out. INR 250/person ($3)
• Paragon Restaurant — Kozhikode (Calicut) institution with branches across Kerala. The fish curry with appam (lacy rice pancakes) is everything Kerala food should be — coconut milk, fresh fish, perfectly balanced heat. INR 400/person ($5)
• Thalassery biryani — If you’re travelling through North Kerala, stop in Thalassery for its unique biryani tradition that uses jeerakasala rice and is distinctly different from Malabar biryani

How to Get Around Kerala

Kerala is long (600km north to south) and narrow, so getting between destinations requires planning. Kochi is the natural hub, with Kerala’s main international airport (COK) and train station.

Trains run along the coast connecting Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alleppey, Ernakulam (Kochi), Thrissur, and Kozhikode — book on IRCTC. State buses are frequent and cheap (INR 50-200) but slow on Kerala’s narrow, winding roads. For the hills (Munnar, Thekkady, Wayanad), hire a driver — roads are twisting and mountain driving is an acquired skill. Expect to pay INR 2,500/day ($30) for a driver with car.

The public ferry from Ernakulam to Fort Kochi (INR 5/$0.06) is a ritual — the 20-minute crossing with the harbour breeze is one of Kerala’s simplest pleasures and far more enjoyable than a taxi.